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G1 Climax 2015 Results: Day 11

We are at the halfway point of Week 3, and the G1 Climax Tournament continues to roll! Starting today's coverage (that's Day 11, Block A for those not keeping score), we are going to have reviews and reactions of the block matches for that day, complete with a 5-star ranking system. Considering the nature of this tour, the undercard will not be covered, just the block matches, with the exception of the last day wherein all matches will have their own review and reaction.

G1 Climax Day 11 Results: August 5, 2015

The team of Mascara Dorada, Michael Elgin, and Hirooki Goto def. the team of Yohei Komatsu, Yuji Nagata, and Satoshi Kojima

Bullet Club (Cody Hall and Karl Anderson) def. the team of Jay White and Tomoaki Honma

CHAOS (Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI, and Kazuchika Okada) def. the team of Captain New Japan, Ryusuke Taguchi, and KUSHIDA

G1 Climax Block A Matches:

Bad Luck Fale (6) def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2)

Tenzan is in this phase of his career where he is tremendously respected as a legend, but can barely keep up with the other guys. That is a shame considering his generational peers, Kojima and Nagata, can still produce fantastic performances. And with Bad Luck Fale, what you see is what you get: a man who can make use of his size to his advantage but still with some room for growth. It is good to see Fale go out of his comfort zone and come up with some new tricks and adapt to a veteran like Tenzan. That big splash from Fale though looks like it has to hurt like a mother.

The only problem I see here is that Tenzan has been losing matches while holding the NWA Heavyweight Championship.

Nonetheless, both Tenzan and Fale fought in a match that is not exactly the best that the tournament has seen thus far, but also not the worst.

Rating: 2/5

Toru Yano (2) def. Katsuyori Shibata (8)

There is a reason why Yano is called a thief (besides NJPW's resident producer), and this match showed it. In one on the biggest upsets in the entire tournament, Yano managed to secure a surprise pin on Shibata in a few minutes, effectively knocking off the latter's impressive lead and once again ensuring that Block A remains in a state of uncertainty, with no clear leader for the top spot.

Yano also demonstrated once again why he is one of the most entertaining and charismatic members of the NJPW roster. He managed to make Tanahashi's life a living hell during the first half of the year, and now scored one over a perennial badass in Shibata, getting the attention of the surprised crowd in the process. On the other hand, Shibata is still the badass we know and love despite the loss. In the few minutes given to them, they managed to tell an interesting story, one that seems similar to Yano's rivalry with Tanahashi, but at the same time feels very refreshing knowing it was Shibata who was Yano's newest victim.

Rating: 2.5/5

Hiroshi Tanahashi (6) def. Doc Gallows (2)

We know this for a fact, but it has to be stated once again: Hiroshi Tanahashi is one of the best wrestlers in the world right now. And one of the reasons why this is so is because he can easily adapt to the style of his opponents and make an ordinary match in paper become better. Such is the case with his encounter with Doc Gallows, which ended up becoming more entertaining than expected. Gallows has proven to be a valuable card since joining NJPW, and his performance with the Ace validates his standing as one half of the IWGP Tag Champs. The suspension of belief was there, thinking that Gallows can pull off the victory the same way Fale did, but to no avail.

Tanahashi winning was the right move, which will further the intrigue as to who will secure the top spot of Block A.

Rating: 3.5/5

AJ Styles (6) def. Togi Makabe (6)

One thing you should know about Togi Makabe: he may be a brawler by nature, but when it comes to main event situations, he will make you believe. His match with Styles was as intense and as fast as we expected it to be, the King Kong and the Phenomenal One attempting to pull off a victory by any means necessary. But in the end, the much feared Styles Clash ended the match in one of the best matches of the tournament.

No question, Makabe and Styles delivered the same way Tanahashi and Gallows did, but much better. Makabe is a proven main event player, and AJ Styles continues to be as phenomenal as his monicker suggests. So it made sense that these two would be able to mesh together and create a beautifully crafted encounter. At this point, a Makabe-Styles rivalry is more than welcome.

Rating: 4/5

Tetsuya Naito (6) def. Kota Ibushi (6)

The moment this match was announced, everyone knew this was going to be the match of the night. In a rematch from the semi finals of the 2015 New Japan Cup, Kota Ibushi attempts to keep his momentum going against the new and devious Tetsuya Naito.

There was no doubting Naito and Ibushi in pulling off a great match, but who knew that the match would be much better than expected, given Naito's embracing of his new character? Naito knows how to own his persona and translate this to in-ring success, making sure to work the crowd with his "don't care" persona. Meanwhile, what else can we say about Kota Ibushi's main event talent? You mesh these two together, and you have a main event worthy of any night. This match certainly was the best way to end Day 11 in a high note, especially if you are a Tetsuya Naito fan. If Naito ends up reaching the finals, don't be surprised because he has earned it.

Naito secured the win with the Destino, making it one of the most feared finishing maneuvers in the game today, besides the Rainmaker and the Styles Clash. It's good to know that they are protecting the finisher, making sure top dogs like Tanahashi and Styles stay down after the move. New Japan booking, ladies and gents.